Page 45 of Into the Dark, We Go

"It’s a pretty common name," Nick explained. "My mom was from around here, so our family probably goes way back."

"Maybe you’re a witch descendant," June suggested with a hint of excitement.

"Maybe," Nick replied deadpan. He turned to me. "You okay?"

Surprisingly, I felt better. The panic and despair had subsided, thanks to June’s unintentional distraction. I’d heard Lucas’s father refer to him as if he were dead, but seeing the grave was overwhelming.

"Why doesn’t your mom have the same last name?" I asked Nick.

"She changed it. Said it made her sound more mysterious."

"Can we move on to something that actually matters?" Mitchell asked abruptly.

I wasn’t sure why he was in such a bad mood, especially since it wasn’t Amanda’s grave we found. Maybe cemeteries made him uneasy. Or perhaps something else was bothering him, something he hadn’t said out loud.

The cemetery bordered the woods. I turned toward the parking lot, eager to leave, but Nick changed direction, heading straight for the trees without a word.

"Where are you going?" I called after him.

"The boy went over there," Nick pointed to a parting in the trees.

I hesitated while Nick moved away and through the tall grass.

"So what?" Mitchell shouted. "Let’s just go. There’s nothing here."

"There must be something that interested him," Nick replied without looking back or slowing down. "We should at least check it out."

June rolled her eyes, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she followed him. Her brother tried to grab her hand, but she pulled away. Nick’s sudden determination to follow the kid was baffling, but there wasn’t much else to do except go along and hope no one called the police on us for chasing after a little boy.

"If I step on a snake, I’m going to kill you!" June hissed.

I assumed she meant Nick, not me.

Mitchell let out an audible sigh and trailed behind, bringing up the rear, his reluctance obvious. He didn’t care for Nick, but he wasn’t about to let his sister go unsupervised.

"Are you sure you saw him here?" I asked.

I was growing increasingly anxious that we’d become lost as we traipsed deeper into the growth.

Nick finally stopped and looked around. We clustered behind him, waiting to see what he’d do next.

"Maybe we should turn back," June said, brushing spiderwebs from her face.

Nick ignored her and pushed through the bushes. A moment later, he called us over. There it was—a massive stone, moss-covered and half-buried beneath the leaves. Scattered on top were bracelets, rings, and a neat pile of photographs, just like the offerings we’d seen on the graves.

"How on earth did you know it was here?" I gasped.

Nick looked just as shocked. "I didn’t. I just wanted to see what he was doing there."

"So he steals them and brings them out here? But why?" June’s fingers hovered above the objects.

"Don’t touch anything!" Mitch pulled her back, grip firm.

"What’s wrong, scared it’s cursed or something?"

"No, we just have no idea what it is," her brother replied gravely. "Don’t leave your fingerprints on it."

"We should at least check if there’s anything useful to us," June insisted, meaning Amanda.